Weddings in the Ming Dynasty were somewhat simplified compared to previous dynasties, but this simplification was mainly for ordinary people. When it comes to official weddings, there are still many rules. From the well-known things such as receiving lottery tickets, receiving coins, requesting deadlines, etc., to as small as where a certain servant should stand and which direction to face during the wedding process, there are strict regulations, and no mistakes can be made.
Gao Pragmatic is different from most time travellers. He is the one who compiled the Wanli version of "Da Ming Huidian". Although he was not the main author of the wedding at the time, he also participated in the review and finalization of the summary, so he is not too concerned about weddings. He was at a loss and had no clue, being manipulated like a puppet on strings.
What is China? The beauty of the clothes is called Hua, and the great etiquette is called Xia. As the dignified Sixth No. 1 Scholar and a god in the minds of students all over the world, Gao Pingshi has put some effort into etiquette. He just needs to arrange all the manpower.
This wedding was so highly anticipated that the capital and nearby towns all sent heavyweight representatives to the capital, including relatives, high-ranking officials and marshals, even those who could not attend in person, and their only purpose was to attend. This wedding.
What is the style of Jinghua Dadong?
After Gao Jingshi confirmed that he would not object to this marriage grant, the price of red silk fabrics in the capital alone increased by 30%, and other items related to wedding costs rose almost uniformly, and even the prices of items that could be seen everywhere increased. The price of red lanterns has increased. A large group of big businessmen and hawkers cheered for joy, and even the big guys behind them cheered.
Or maybe it was because there were too many materials to prepare and the affairs to be arranged were too complicated, so the wedding was not completed until June 20th.
Accepting the betrothal gift has nothing to do with Gao Pragmatic himself. It is mainly a matter between his best man and the Huang family.
The specific process is as follows: The Gao family first writes the auspicious text and goes to the temple to tell the story, and at the same time, the best man goes to the bride's house. Huang Chengzu dressed in official uniform went out to greet him and bowed to express his gratitude to the best man and matchmaker.
At this time, the Gao family's betrothal gift and the symbolic wild geese will be displayed in the main hall. Then the best man stood on the left, Huang Chengzu stood on the right, and the matchmaker stood to the south of the best man, bowing to each other and then bowing.
The work of the best man is about to officially begin, and he needs to say loudly to his master: "The Crown Prince Shaobao, Zuo Shilang of the Ministry of War, is the assistant manager of the military affairs of the capital, and he is pragmatic and pragmatic. I will treat you with the due care of husband and wife. You will take the lead in following the ceremony. I would like to make you accept it." .”
Huang Chengzu also replied loudly: "Fu Xianmu Xun, the son of a certain person, is an insult to the choice. How dare you not praise me." What should be noted here is that it is obviously a married daughter, but she must be called "son" here.
Then, the best man and Huang Chengzu would divide the west and east, and sit facing each other. After Che Yan received the ceremony, he would display the geese and ask about the gifts at the same time. The best man will start to read the gift list at this time.
Who is Gao pragmatic's best man this time? That is really a rare style in the world - Zhu Yingzhen, Duke of Chengguo! (At this time, the bridesmaid is not required to be unmarried. In fact, most of the bridesmaids are married friends, probably because they are more experienced and experienced.)
Zhu Yingzhen, if you ask him to lead troops in war, he will definitely deliver food, but his main job in the past few years is to host some visits and celebrations on behalf of the emperor. His etiquette and demeanor are absolutely impeccable, and he can only be a mere groomsman. It's simply a waste of talent.
I saw him unrolling a long jade scroll and reading calmly: "The gift of Gao Gongbao Nacai: Annan Dutong Envoy Si Haiyang Mansion has two thousand hectares of paddy fields!"
This was just the beginning, and the big guys from all sides who were watching the ceremony almost had their eyes popping out of their heads - Two thousand hectares doesn't sound amazing, does it? Well, let’s change the unit of measurement—two thousand hectares is two hundred thousand acres!
Let’s compare again. When Princess Shouyang and Princess Yongning got married, the emperor gave them this amount of land!
Zhu Yingzhen smiled and enjoyed the gasps of the various high-ranking officials and dignitaries around him. He paused deliberately, and after they came to their senses, he continued: "Annan Commander-in-Chief Si Shenglongcheng Huanjian Lake Villa So, the price is 250,000 taels of silver."
Originally, they heard that it was just a villa in Shenglong City. Everyone was relieved. Who knew that Zhu Yingzhen actually said "discounted silver of 250,000 taels", and the breath they just exhaled was immediately sucked back by them. .
In fact, this Hoan Kiem Lake villa was originally built by Mo Maoqia as a gift to Gao Pingshi, but it was not completed until Gao Pangshi left office.
Later, Gao Jingshi actually took control of Annan, and Mo Maoqia did not dare to neglect it. Shengsheng expanded the courtyard twice in a row, and finally built it even more grandly than his palace (Dutong Envoy Palace). If it weren't for the fact that Annan itself produced All kinds of precious wood and 250,000 taels of silver actually can't be repaired at all. If this Hoan Kiem Lake Villa is moved to Nanjing, the price will at least double.
Zhu Yingzhen continued: "Ten pairs of Hotan white jade, two cloud-patterned jade green luan, two ruby golden orchid corollas, two pairs of gold-inlaid Hotan jade butterfly flower ornaments... a total of one hundred pieces of pearl and jade jewelry.
There are also 10,000 taels of gold, 100,000 taels of silver, a large boat with a three-story platform floating on the sea with 1,400 materials, and a boat with a golden lake painted with 200 materials..."
There were so many things written on this long scroll that Zhu Yingzhen took a stick of incense to recite before he finished. By the time he finished reciting, the people around him were already stunned.
Now that the betrothal gifts are discounted, can one million taels be worth it?
No one dares to guarantee it, because the value of some things is simply difficult to estimate. For example, the two jade green luan with cloud patterns were nothing to say. But when the servants of the Gao family opened the big rosewood box, everyone discovered that the two green luan were actually about three feet tall - how big they must be. Can it be carved from a piece of raw jade? How is this value measured?
Another example is the 1,400-material sea-painted boat (cruise boat), which is almost two times the size of an ordinary sea-going boat. Since it is a painted boat, it is definitely not as crudely decorated as an ordinary sea-going boat. You can almost imagine that. It's like a palace on the sea - how much is it worth?
Even if you have money, you can’t buy it!
After Zhu Yingzhen finished reading, he handed the long jade scroll to the servant of the Gao family beside him, bowed to Huang Chengzu again, and said: "Gao Gongbao is careful about the wedding, and will add a divination pot. May I ask for the name."
Huang Chengzu had been in a daze when he heard it, but he suddenly came back to his senses and said hurriedly: "My eldest daughter, my wife Tian is born." Then he presented Huang Zhiting's age and so on written on gold paper.
Zhu Yingzhen stretched out his hands, took it with a smile, and then bowed and said goodbye. Huang Chengzu asked those who followed him, and after completing the ceremony, he sent Zhu Yingzhen to the door.
At this point, the gift of acceptance is completed. However, in fact, there is one thing in this Nacai gift that cannot be mentioned directly. Gao Jingshi has already discussed it with the Huang family before - Haiyang Mansion, which was originally directly controlled by Jinghua, will be transferred to Huang Zhiting from now on.
The reason why Hai Duong Prefecture was directly controlled by Jinghua before was because most of the Red River Delta was located in this prefecture. Not only was the land the most fertile, but it was also in an important location, as it was the only place to go from the sea route to the Red River and directly to Thang Long City. But now that they are married, it doesn't matter if they are transferred to Huang Zhiting.
However, readers, please don’t misunderstand, this is not a simple matter of left hand and right hand, there is no difference at all, in fact there is a difference.
According to the provisions of the Ming Dynasty Law, although a woman's dowry when she gets married can be temporarily used by her husband's family, its ownership does not belong to her husband's family, but still belongs to the woman herself. No matter how much the dowry is, as long as she is still alive, it will not be the property of her husband's family. Only after her death, it can be inherited by her biological children - of course, theoretically, she can also designate other people to inherit, including Non-biological children.
Therefore, when Gao Jingshi gave Haiyang Mansion away, at least from a legal perspective, it meant that he really gave it away and no longer belonged to him.
Compared with the mere two thousand hectares of paddy fields that were openly recruited, the cultivated land area of Haiyang Mansion is more than ten times. It is one of the famous world-class granaries in later generations. How can this value be explained clearly in a few words?
After Nacai, there are various etiquettes such as Naji and Nazheng, which will not be described in detail.
On the day of the welcome, it was Gao Cai who informed the temple first. After returning to the White Jade Tower, Gao pragmatically bowed to the north and stood. Gao Cai followed the etiquette and said solemnly: "I bow to welcome you, and I will treat you internally."
Gao pragmatic bowed and replied: "I dare not accept my fate." Then he bowed and said goodbye.
The matchmaker and his guide led Gao Pangshi to get on the horse, and a large procession of wedding guests set off from the Baiyu Tower and rushed to the Nanhu Villa of Cheng Guogong in the east of the city.
At this time, Huang Chengzu also finished his visit to the temple, and the bride was treated like a family member. When Gao Qingshi arrived at the gate, he dismounted and waited outside the gate.
Huang Zhiting's maid put on her attire, put on her phoenix crown and harem, and sat in the boudoir facing south.
In the Ming Dynasty, there was no such thing as "marriage trouble" when a high-ranking official got married. Gao Pingzhi only waited for a moment before Huang Chengzu came out to meet him at the door, and the two parties bowed to each other and entered. Huang Chengzu entered the door on the right, and Gao Jingshi entered on the left. The person holding the wild goose followed Gao Jingshi to the north in front of the boudoir.
At this time, after everyone stood, it was time to change positions. Huang Chengzu stood in the east of the boudoir, facing west. Gao pragmatically bowed again, paid homage to the geese, left the backyard of the boudoir and returned to the front yard. At this time, Huang Chengzu refused to give it away. He stood still.
After Gao Pangshi went to the front yard, Huang Chengzu entered the boudoir and sat facing south (Huang Zhiting's mother was gone, otherwise her parents would have been sitting here together). Huang Zhiting's wet nurse and maid bowed to him four times.
After paying homage, Huang Chengzu began to explain according to the rules: "When you go to your daughter's house, be obedient and never forget to be respectful." The wet nurse admonished on behalf of her mother: "You must be respectful and disciplined, and do not violate the orders of your uncle and aunt." The one-year-old maid then acted on behalf of her concubine (Huang Chengzu did not continue his marriage and did not take his concubine to the north, so she acted on her behalf) and stated: "You sincerely listen to the instructions, and don't be ashamed to be a parent."
At this time, Huang Zhiting didn't need or could answer anything. She just wanted to listen quietly, so she just lowered her head and didn't move at all, in an absolute ladylike manner.
After the admonishment, the wet nurse and the maid Wing Girl went out and climbed into the car. The Gao family's ceremonial guards led the procession in the front, while the Huang family's escorts rode behind.
Gao Jingshi was about to go back to the backyard to pick up Huang Zhiting, but he didn't need to hold her or anything, he just accompanied her out as if "respecting each other as a guest" and got into the wedding car - note that it was not a sedan chair.
The procession of welcoming and seeing off relatives along the way was extremely large, probably no more than a thousand people. They were playing pipes and playing instruments, and they were swaggering all the way from Nanhu Courtyard back to Baiyu Tower.
The wedding car arrived at the gate of Baiyulou courtyard. A huge team of servants came out to greet the bride. They all bowed and bowed to welcome the hostess inside. Walking on the red carpet created uniquely by Gao Jingshi, she walked to the gate of the main building of the White Jade Building. Gao Jingshi moved up the stairs first, and then Huang Zhiting followed the steps under the guidance of a male and female wedding boy - there was no need for a groom to carry the bride across the threshold here. , and stuff like the bride’s feet not touching the ground.
After entering the master bedroom in the north, Gao Pragmatic washed in the southeast of the room, and Huang Zhiting's maid held a towel and filled the water to purify her hands; Huang Zhiting washed in the northwest of the room, and Gao Pragmatic's attendant held a towel and filled the water to purify her hands.
After washing, both parties took their seats, with Gao Jingjing sitting in the east and Huang Zhiting sitting in the west. The waiters on both sides still exchanged men and women, each holding the food table, Gao Pingshi and Huang Zhiting each had wine and food - of course, it was just for fun, not to eat and drink to their heart's content.
After enjoying the food and wine, the maid poured wine in front of Gao Pragmatic and Huang Zhiting. This thing is not the "exchanging glasses of wine" that is often shown in later TV series, but each drinking his own small glass.
The taste of this wine is very light, basically equivalent to a small glass of sweet wine, and you will definitely not get drunk. After drinking, the two stood in the south of the seat, still facing east and west, and bowed to each other again.
At this time, the various maids and attendants left the scene, and the rest of the time was left to the newlyweds - you read that right, they did not need to go out to toast the guests or anything like that. These tasks were the tasks of the Gao Zai couple and Huang Chengzu.
If you think about it, you will know that after Zhu Yuanzhang became the emperor, he emphasized "rules" so much. How could he agree to go out to accompany officials to drink when they get married? It's filth, isn't it indecorous?
In Zhu Yuanzhang's view, things like banquet guests are nothing. Can they be bigger than "rituals"? As for other things like bridal chamber, there are still many people among the people, but they will never happen when Pinguan gets married.
Therefore, as soon as Gao Pragmatic heard the sound of the door closing, he suddenly relaxed and said with a smile: "It's not easy. I read the wedding ceremony carefully so many times, just because I'm afraid I'll make some mistakes today."
He felt relieved, but Huang Zhiting was still sitting on the west end of the big bed, motionless, not even answering.
Gao pragmatic was stunned for a moment, slapped his forehead, and said with a smile: "I almost forgot that you can't move yet..." After saying that, he took out a gold scale rod from the long rosewood box on the table and approached Huang Zhiting with a smile. .
He stretched one end of the golden scale rod under the front edge of the hijab. Huang Zhiting, who had been sitting still, suddenly subconsciously tightened her hands that were folded on her lap.
Seeing her hands clasping each other hard, Gao pragmatic knew that she was nervous, and suddenly he couldn't help but think of teasing her, and the scale suddenly retracted.
Huang Zhiting obviously saw it, and the head of the red hijab moved slightly.
Gao Pingshi smiled and said: "I suddenly thought...if I didn't wear a hijab, would you really be silent and motionless?"
Huang Zhiting still didn't respond.
Gao pragmatic laughed, and suddenly reached out his hand to attack her left waist without hesitation!
"Oh oh oh... let go, let go!"
"Would you like to choose?"
"Pick, pick, pick, pick... pick right now, please let go first!"
It turned out that the moment he stretched out his hand, Huang Zhiting moved almost subconsciously. She grabbed the little finger of his right hand with a backhand like lightning, turned it around and applied a little force, and Gao Qingshi asked for mercy.
Huang Zhiting snorted slightly, but still let go of her hand.
Gao pragmatic rubbed his little finger with a grimace and pretended to complain: "I'll wait until tomorrow when I'm free. I have to learn a few tricks from Liu Wei... Although you have practiced martial arts, you don't have enough strength alone." It should be older than me? Let’s see how I do it then…cough!”
Huang Zhiting's shoulders moved slightly, as if she was snickering.
Gao pragmatic was immediately "furious", holding the golden scale pole with a ferocious smile on his face: "What's wrong with Xuewu? When I take off your hijab, I won't punish you however you want!"
With that said, the golden scale pole was gently lifted, and the bright red hijab flew out, revealing the dimples on Xiafei's cheeks under the phoenix crown, which seemed to be happy but also angry.
(To avoid 404 warning, here is a brief summary of 3,000 words...)
----------
Thanks to book friend "Cao Mianzi" for your reward and support, thank you!
Thanks to book friends "Lu Senah", "Book Friends 150606153611602", "soviet2003", "Worry-free K Book", "Ling Qi Zhao Bi Xin" and "ASolaF" for their monthly ticket support, thank you!
